Leaving your child with other people.

Today many parents are working and have to leave their children with grandparents, kindergartens, day-care centers, maids or child-minders.
If you have grandparents like my aunt, the grandma whom I have told you about in ‘What if parents are not good at the chosen language‘, then you are indeed very lucky where language learning, cleanliness, good attitude, good behavior, good habits and safety are concerned.

However, grandparents tend to pamper their grandchildren too much. A pampered child may grow up thinking only of his/her own self. He/She may then grow up to be exceedingly demanding, and perhaps throwing tantrums whenever his/her demands are not met. This type of person would not find life easy as certainly most people would not give way to his/her demands to have everything suit his/her liking or wishes. This type of person may find himself or herself with very few, if any, friends. Relatives and family members may not like his/her ways. I do know of one such grandmother and certainly would not want any one of my children to end up with her fate. Do we want our children to fall into such a position? Certainly not but unless we realise such a problem early and ensure this does not occur, it may be too late to change the child by the time he/she has become a problem. This is one of those potholes in life that we must look out for.

Unfortunately, it is really difficult to disallow a grandparent to pamper a beloved grandchild. The best solution in such a situation is to leave the child for as short a time as possible with the grandparent. Be very careful in action as well as words for nobody would be happy to see the doting grandparent hurt.

When it comes to day-care centers and kindergartens, parents can always do a search for the best place to put a child. Is the place good, if not excellent, for language learning? Are the people involved kind and children loving? Ask those people who had sent their children there.

Distance should not be the criteria although I have heard parents tell their neighbours the place chosen is the nearest and most convenient, just on the way to the workplace. If need be, parents should spend a little more time and petrol to ensure the right place for their precious children. Their precious children’s whole future may be at stake!

Be it a maid or a child minder, one who can help to give your child a head start in life is certainly the best choice. Besides language learning, there is the safety aspect. Though you may be very busy in the office you could keep an eye on the maid (It’s not that easy where the child minder is concerned as your child would be at her home.) with an installed camera at various parts of the house. Nowadays, I am told you can monitor the camera from your office some distance away. There are parents I know who have just installed such surveillance cameras in their house. Well, it looks like much can be done if there is enough money at your disposal. Ultimately, how careful you choose the maid or child minder is important. If the maid or child minder loves children, the safety aspect is well taken care of. What other factors do you need to consider? Cleanliness is important. So are attitudes, behavior and habits. There is also the child minder’s children to think of. What kind of children are they? Are they lazy, vulgar, argumentative or rude? We ought to remember that all these people can slowly and gradually influence our children in all aspects.

Other factors such as money and perhaps the location are of no importance as far as giving your child the best head start is concerned.

Well, if both are working parents, you have to plan this carefully so that your child will benefit from your actions.